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, HISTORY OF 



THE BLACK MAN 



An Authentic Collection of Historical Infor- 
mation on the Early Civilization of 
the Descendants of Ham, 
the Son of Noah. 



History of tke Black Kingdoms of Ghana, 

Melle, Songhay and Kansas, and 

the Early American Negro 



COMPILED BY 

REV. J. J. JACKSON, D. D. 

BELLEFONTAINE, OHIO 



C-crW-i ^^ 









JUL 25 1921 •' 



-^^o <%/ 



INTRODUCTORY 



It is very essential that every race should possess a 
correct knowledge of its own past history. 

The masses of the American negro have been de- 
prived of the opportunity of obtaining an adequate know- 
ledge of the past history of the black man. The average 
historian has not considered the ancient history of the 
black man of sufficient importance to claim his attention 
Even Mr. Myers would have the students of his general 
history belive that the black man has always been a 
hewer of wood and a drawer of water. A large majority 
of the men of letters of our own people who are very pro- 
ficient in ancient, medieval, modern history of Greece and 
Rome, and even China, Japan and other European and 
Asiatic countries, know very little of the history of their 
own people. 

A lack of historical knowledge of ourselves has 
been the means of lessening of our race pride. A better 
knowledge of the contribution of the black mian to civ- 
ilization will cause us to have a better opinion of our- 
selves. At considerable expense and with much labor 
and research, the writer has succeeded in collecting what 
he considers of great deal of valuable information, which 
he has placed in this little book and given to the public at 






a cost within the reach of every one who desires valuable 
information upon the past and present history of the 
black man. A brief reference will be made to the origin 
of the race, the rise of the Ethiopian and Egypt, and the 
early influence of African civilization upon the ancient 
history of the world. Considerable space will be given 
to the black kingdoms of Soudan and the high degree of 
civilization which was found to exist among them bo- 
fore the arrival of white explorers. The following are 
some of the kingdoms to which reference will be made 
at some length; namely: Ghana, Melle, Songhay and 
Kansas. It will also be shown that Spain was ruled by a 
black dynasty of Africa for more than a half century. 
1086-1147. Much space will be given to the history of 
the American negro, 1619 to the present date. Books 
containing much of the information found in this book, 
are not accessible to the masses of the people. I c.m 
aware that much of the information found in this book 
will sound like a fairy tale, but I assure the readers thai 
every word is authentic history. 

In dealing with the black kingdoms and people of 
Soudan, I have selected the black type of the race, to the 
exclusion of the mixed races, to refute the argument that 
civilization is the heritage of the lighter race. It will 
also be shown that the native Africans whose history we 
relate in this book are not naked savages of whom we 
have heard so much, but they are people who have al- 
ways worn clothes and lived in stately mansions. Mrs. 
Shaw, ("Lady Lugard") in the introduction to her book, 
entitled "A Tropical Dependency," has the following to 
say : "The traveler on the Niger River, from its source to 
Sokoto, leaves the naked savage of the coast to prowl in 
his dusky nakedness through the mangrove swamps of 



Southern Nigeria; at its mouths. He sees natives on its 
banks, ever increasing in dignity as the latitude recedes 
from the equator. At Lokoja no native is unclothed. A 
little farther north, at Bida, where the town is ap- 
proached by avenues of trees, native brass and glass 
manufacturers add to the usual industries, Moorish 
dress is already the fashion. In the markets of Sokoto 
nnd Kano the scenery is as varied and as dignified as any 
market in the Mediterranean coast. 

REV. J. J. JACKSON, D. D. 

Bellefontaine, Ohio. 
Mr.rch 23, 1921. 



History of the Black Man 



It is generally conceded that all the families of the 
human race had a common parentage in Noah. Noah 
had three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth. It was the 
original purpose of God that these three men should be 
the heads of separate and distinct nations. The carrying 
out of this purpose was begun by the confusion of lan- 
guage at the tower of Babel. Each of these men and 
their descendents were given a distinct language so that 
they no longer spoke their mother tongue. Ham had 
four sons, viz: Cush, Mizraim, Phut and Caanan. Bab- 
alonia, Phonecia, Arabia, Caanan, Syria and Africa were 
settled by the descendents of Ham. Nimrod, the mighty 
hunter, and founder of cities, was the son of Cush and the 
grandson of Ham. 

Historians tell us that the inscriptions upon the tab- 
lots and submerged tovv^ers and monuments of Babylon, 
Egypt and Ethiopia, reveal the fact that they all spoke 
the same language. Phut, Mizraim and Cush settled 
Africa. Scholars agree that Arabia was first peopled 
by Cush and his descendants, Baamah or Raamah and 
Sabtah. After settling Arabia, Cush migrated across 
the Red Sea, if indeed the Red Sea existed at that 
early period, and settled Ethiopia, which lies south of 
Egypt. Students of history concede that the Arabs and 
the races of Africa are near kinsmen. Ethiopia and 
Egypt are regarded as the oldest settlements upon the 
African continent. Historically, they are the eldest born 



HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 



of all time ; the mothers of all subsequent civilization ; 
the longest lived among all the nations of the earth ; the 
teachers of art, philosophy and religion, before Greece 
•and Rome were born. When everywhere else rude huts 
and primitive tents were mankind's highest form of ar- 
chitecture, Ethiopia and Egypt were rearing their stu- 
pendous pyramids and temples, which still remain the 
marvel of the world. 

The Ethiopian represents the black type of the 
Hametic race. "Can the leper change his spots or the 
ii^thiopian his skin?" is a familiar Bible quotation. All 
of the Hametic races have either black or dark skins, or 
have either wooly or curly hair. The Egyptians vary in 
color from black to yellow brown. The civilization oi 
Ethiopia is perhaps older than that of Egypt. Heeren 
historical researches: African races, has the following 
to say: "In Nubbia and Ethiopia, stupendous, numerous 
and primeval monuments proclaim so loudly a civiliza- 
tion contemporary to, aye, earlier than that of Egypt, 
that it may be accepted with the greatest confidence that 
the arts, sciences and religion descended from Nubbia to 
the lower country of Mizriam: that civilization descended 
the Nile, built Memphis, and finally, sometime later, 
wrested by colonization, the delta from the sea." 

The fame of the Ethiopian was widespread in an- 
cient history. Herodotus describes them as the tallest, 
the most beautiful and the longest lived of the 
human race, and before Herodotus Homer describes them 
as the most just of men and the favorites of the gods. All 
the purely Africans or black families are either descend- 
ants of Ethiopia or Egypt. 

Having briefly considered the origin of the black 



6 HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 

family, I shall next give a short history of some of the 
black kingdoms of Africa. 



CHAPTER II 



Ethiopia and Egpyt are the oldest and most re- 
nowned of all the b]f,( I: kingdoms. 

The history of these ancient kingdoms is so well 
known that it will not be necessary to give them any more 
than a passing notice. In art, science, literature, govern- 
ment and law these ancient kingdoms have reached a 
degree of perfection which subsequent ages have not 
been able to surpass. The obelisk, sphinxes and pyramids 
are stupendous works of human achievements, unrivaled 
by any of the works of modern times. The ruins of 
Thebes, the most ancient of Egptian cities, reveal the high 
degree of civilization to which these kingdoms had at- 
tained. 

In speaking of this ancient city, the late Dr. J. H. 
Barrows, who was president of Oberlin University, has 
the following to say : The plain was not only adorned by 
large and handsome dwellings, for man, but by temples 
and palaces of whose grandeur words can give but a faint 
conception. 

All of the civilized nations of the world are vieing 
with each other in collecting relics of that ancient yet 
most advanced civilization of more than 6000 years ago. 

With much labor and at great expense. New York 
City has succeeded in bringing across the continents the 
great obelisk erected by Thothsmes III. It now stands in 
CentralPark, NewYork, near 17th Street and 5th Avenue. 

For at the base of this same shaft of stone the Phar- 



HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 



aohs of 5000 years ago and of subsequent periods were 
wont to stand and read the inscriptions that told of their 
greatness as well as the greatness of the entire Egyptian 
kingdom. 

We shall now pass from the known kingdoms of an- 
cient Ethiopia and Egypt to the hitherto unknown king- 
doms of Soudan. 

During the 8th century of our present Christian era 
there flourished a very important town in western Soudan 
by the name of Ghana. Its exact location is not definitely 
known. It \7as perhaps a few days' journey from Tim- 
buctoo. 

After being wrested from the hands of the Burburs 
in the earlier part of the 8h cenury A. D., it was ruled 
over by a long list of powerful black kings. 

In speaking of Ghana, Mrs. Shaw ("Lady Lugard") 
says: The town had several mosques and other public 
buildings and the houses generally were very elegant. 

The people were rich and living in great comfort. 

The king's residence was a well built castle, thor- 
oughly fortified, decorated inside by sculptures and pic- 
tures, and having glass windows. When the king gave 
audience to the people he appeared in great state, seated 
under a pavilion, round which ranged ten horses capar- 
isoned in gold. Behind him were ten pages bearing 
shields and swords mounted in gold. 

Gold was so plentiful and salt so scarce that the 
former was exchanged for its weight of the latter. The 
king possessed a nugget of gold which weighed thirty 
pounds. 

El-Idrisi writing of this kingdom, says : Ghana is the 
most considerable, the most thickly populated, and the 



HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 



most commercial of all the black countries. It is visited 
by rich merchants of all the surrounding countries and 
from the extremities of the west. 

The king had a standing army of 200,000 men. He 
is described as being one of the most just of men, whose 
custom it was to ride once daily into the poorest and most 
wretched parts of the city, and there dispense justice to 
all who had reason for complaint. 

On all other occasions he rode in great pomp, mag- 
nificently dressed in silk and jewels, surrounded by 
guards, preceded by elephants, giraffes and other wild 
animals of Soudan, and no one dared to approach him. 
The influence of this, powerful kingdom extended to 
Egypt, North Africa, and even to Spain in Europe. 



THE MILESTINEAM KINGDOM 

Millestine was another influential black kingdom of 
the Soudan. This kingdom reached the zenith of its 
power after its kings had accepted the Mohammedan re- 
ligion, which took place during the 11th century. The 
Millestine Empire reached the height of its influence un- 
der the rulership of Mansamusa. Mansa means king. 
After this powerful black king had established peace and 
prosperity throughout the length and breadth of his vast 
domain, he made his celebrated pilgrimage to Mecca in 
the year 1324. The caravan consisted on this occasion, 
we are told, of no less than 60,000 persons. The baggage 
of this caravan was generally carried by camels, but 
12,000 slaves formed the personal retinue of Mansamusa. 
All these were dressed in tunics of brocade or Persian 
silk. When he rode, 500 of them marched before him, 
carrying a staff" of pure gold wh-ich weighed sixty-two 



'^l HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 



oilnces. The remainder carried the royal baggage. The 
caravan was supplied with all essential luxuries, includ- 
ing good cooks," who prepared elaborate dishes, not only 
for the king, but for the king's friends at every halting 
place. To defray the expenses of this journey the king 
took with him gold dust to the value of upwards of a 
million sterling or five million dollars. This was carried 
in eighty camel loads, of three hundred pounds each. In 
making this pilgrimage he made it convenient to pass 
through his entire kingdom, stopping on every Friday to 
build a mosque for the people. He went by way of 
Egypt where he spent considerable time with the Sultan 
and learned men of that country. He finally reached 
Meca, where he made many literary acquaintances, and 
persuaded Abu-Ishak, the Spanish poet and architect, to 
return with him. While at Meca it is said that he erected 
a very beautiful mosque. He returned by a different 
route, thus enabling him to pass through all parts of his 
empire. Having made a complete round of his empire, 
he re-entered his capital and immediately employed his 
Spanish architect to design for him a hall of audience, 
built after the fashion of Egyptian architecture. 

It is stated that Abu-Ishak displayed all the wonders 
of his genius in the erection of an admirable monument 
which gave great satisfaction to the king. The hall was 
square and surrounded by a dome. It was built of stone, 
covered with plaster and decorated with beautiful, col- 
ored arabesques. It had also two tiers of arched win- 
dows, of which the lower windows were framed in gold 
plated upon wood, while the upper ones were framed in 
silver plated upon wood. This hall of audience com- 
municated with the palace by an interior door. After 



10 HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 

returning from his pilgrimage to Meca, Mansamusa 
turned his arms against Timbuctoo, and finally took pos- 
session of the town in 1336. Musa made Timbuctoo the 
capital of his empire. He made the town magnificent 
with a royal palace and mosque, which he built. These 
buildings were designed by the architect Abu-Ishak, and 
were built of cut stone. The remains of this palace ex- 
ist until the present day. 

We will give a fuller description of Timbuctoo fur- 
ther on. 

Mansamusa had a very prosperous reign of twenty- 
five years. Ibu Khaldien says of him: Mansamusa v/as 
distinguished by his ability and by the holiness of his life. 
The justice of his administration was such that the mem- 
ory of it still lives. 



CHAPTER HI 
Song-hayan Empire and Askia the Great 

Of all the black kingdoms of Soudan, Song-hay fur- 
nishes the most interesting history. A lack of space will 
not allow us to give more than a brief narrative of this 
most remarkable empire. 

The people claim to be direct descendants of Sa, the 
younger of the two sons of Mizraim, whom they claimed 
first settled their empire. According to the history of 
the country, Sa devoted himself with the greatest interest 
to his kingdom, which was given him by his father, and 
made it prosperous. He built towns for the mosques; he 
constructed baths; he had palaces with stained glass win- 
dows and exquisite gardens; he erected statues bearing 



HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 11 

burning glasses, and other marbles, along the Mediter- 
ranean coast. 

Song-ha first attracts our attention in 1355, when 
Ali-Kolon became king and delivered his people from 
under the yoke of Melle. But Song-ha did not assert 
her power as an influential kingdom until Sonni-Ali who 
had been reared and educated at the court of Mansa- 
musa, made his escape and returned to his native land 
and freed his people from under the yoke of Melle. 

The Song-ha people gladly welcomed Sonni-Ali as 
their king. Under the rulership of this very energetic 
king, Song-ha greatly extended her borders and became 
the greatest country of Soudan. 

Sonni-Ali was succeeded by his prime minister, As- 
kia Mohammed, Abou Bekr. This man, says "Lady Lu- 
gard," was a pure blooded black Song-ha. 

He was born of well known parents, in the island 
Nina, a little below Sinder in the Niger, and he first 
made his fame as a soldier, being one of the most distin- 
guished generals of Sonni Ali's army. He was more 
remarkable for the qualities which usually characterize 
great civilians. He appears to have been a man of lib- 
eral views, naturally humane, and disposed to temperate 
.lustice with mercy, more than usually cultivated, active, 
wise and firm. He had been fortunate in the circum- 
stances of his youth. He came of good stock. His fa- 
ther was a man universally respected. His mother was a 
woman of remarkable piety, who brought up her children 
with care. Thirty years' experience, which he enjoyed 
as prime minister to Sonni-Ali eminently fitted him for 
the high position of king of the Song-ha empire. He as- 
sumed his authority as king shortly after the death of 



12 HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 

Sonni Ali, 1492, the year that Columbus discovered 
America. Sonni Ali had conquered the empire. The 
great work of Askia was to organize, to bring it into a 
condition of peace, prosperity and cultivation, which was 
little suspected as existing in the heart of Soudan, during 
a period which witnessed in Europe the expulsion of the 
Moors from Spain, the crusade of Charles V against the 
Saracens, the victory of Leepanto over the Turks and the 
closing of the principle ports of the Mediterranean to the 
infidels. One of his first acts was to organize a standing 
army. Simultaneously with his reform of the militarj^ 
forces of the empire he gave his attention to the church. 
The orthodox and pius, whose voices had not been heard 
during the late reign, came out of obscurity. Schools 
were founded, new mosques were built, and the new 
activity was felt throughout the empire. As soon as his 
subjects had become reconciled to the new conditions and 
peace and quiet had been established, Askia appointed 
his favorite brother to be regent in his place and went on 
a pilgrimage to Mecca and to seek at Cairo a formal in- 
vestiture at the hands of Caliph of Egypt. 

At this time Caliphs of Egypt still kept their position 
as the religious heads of the Mohammedan world. He re- 
ceived his investiture at the hands of El Motarvekee XIV, 
Abassid Caliph of Egypt. 

The ceremony consisted of a solemn abdication on 
Askia's part for three days of the Song-ha throne. On 
the fourth day the Caliph appointed him to the position 
of lieutenant Abasside of all the sultans in Soudan, and 
invested him in the sign of his authority, with a turban 
and cap. Asckai remained for two years in the east, dur- 
ing which time he devoted much time to study. Among 



HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 13 

the subjects named as interesting his attention we find 
everything that concerned the government and the admin- 
istration of the people. 

Principles of taxation, and a special land tax, and 
the tithe are tributes to be taken from the newly con- 
quered peoples; verification and inspection of weights 
and measures, regulation of trades, regulation laws of in- 
heritance, laws for the suppression of fraud, custom and 
duties; laws for suppression of immorality and measures 
10 be taken for vhe inheritance of better manners among 
the people. After remaining two years in the east, As- 
ckia returned to his own empire. He succeeded in build- 
ing up a very powerful empire of which Timbuctoo was 
capital. 

This mysterious city reached its zenith during the 
reign of Asckai. Timbuctoo was a walled city of several 
thousand inhabitants. Within her walls stood large and 
stately mansions. Some one has said that there was a 
time when fortunes of gold could be gathered on her 
streets. The city was full of rich merchants. Her col- 
leges and university produced some of the world's best 
scholars, lawyers, doctors and mechanics. The town, says 
Lady Lugard, swarmed with Soudanese students who 
were filled with ardor for knowledge and virtue. There 
were great stores of doctors, judges, priests and other 
men. 

Mohammed Abou-Bekr tells of one of the noted 
black professors of Timbuctoo under whom it had been 
his good fortune to study. He speaks as follows: "He 
was one of the best of God's virtuous creatures. He was 
a working scholar and a man instinct with goodness. 
His nature was as pure as it was upright. Everyone 



14 HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 

who knew him loved him. His whole life was given to 
the teaching of others. He taught his pupils to love 
science, to follow its teaching, to devote their time to 
it, to associate with scholars and to keep their minds in a 
state of docility. He occupied himself with what con- 
cerned him, listened to no gossip, and took part in no 
frivolity; but wrapped himself in a magnificent mantle 
of discretion and reserve. His hand held fast the stan- 
dard of continence." 

The study of law, literature, grammar, theology and 
science were the chief subjects taught in the schools of 
Timbuctoo. There were also schools of medicine. It is 
said that they believed in the maxim. "He who studies 
anatomy pleases God'' In 1618, the author of the Tarikh 
mentioned the fact that a celebrated surgeon of Timbuc- 
too performed a successful operation on his brother for 
cataract in 1816. There were noble philosphers and 
astronomers in Timbuctoo. 

Song-ha enjoyed her independence from 700 A. D. to 
1591 A. D., a period of 891 years, during which she 
wielded a powerful influence over the surrounding coun- 
tries of the world. Ghana enjoyed an independent exis- 
tence for 1100 years. 

Having briefly considered Timbuctoo and the Song- 
ha empire, I now pass to the consideration of other 
kingdoms. The white man was surprised to find such 
evidences of civilization as existed among these native 
African tribes. Mr. Ogilby tells us the early African ex- 
plorers reported the existence of several great kingdoms, 
which have continued to exist down to the present time ; 
among which are Bornu, Bennin, Agades and Kano, 
Ashanti, Sokoto, Fanti, Dahomi, Ibo and Bony. It may 



HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 15 

be fitting right here to give a little description of 
the government of some of these black kingdoms. 

Mr. Featherman has the following to say of the gov- 
ernment of the kingdom of the Canuris of the millet zone : 
"The ruler of the Canuris was assisted in the administra- 
tion by a chief counsellor or prime minister, a secretary 
of state, a commander in chief of th'^ army, a minister of 
foreign affairs, who conducted the correspondence and 
regulated intercourse with strangers, a governor of the 
capital and the secretary of the interior who made annual 
tours throughout the empire, reporting upon the adminis- 
tration of the country, the condition of agriculture and 
industry. 

In speaking of the government of the Hausa states 
Mr. Featherman says : "The executive officers of the 
Hausa states consisted of commander of cavalry, several 
judges, a chief of slaves, a minister of finance and a su- 
perintendent of beast of burden. The Hausa inflicted a 
death penalty for either murder or adultery. The Hausa 
had a law forbidding anyone from strolling about the 
streets at night, and an officer would arrest anyone com- 
mitting such an offense. Any kind of rowdyism on the 
streets was strictly forbidden. Those found guilty were 
severely punished. In time of peace, robbery and mur- 
der, were rare. Regular police preserved order at the 
markets. I might continue to give evidences of well or- 
ganized systems of government in west Africa, which was 
found to be existing in a most flourishing condition, be- 
fore that part of the continent had ever been visited by a 
single representative of the Caucasian race — a civiliza- 
tion which was a production of negro brain, on his own 
virgin soil. A government existed among our African 



16 HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 

ancestors that equals the best system of government 
that may be found anywhere in our modern civilization. 



CHAPTER III 

The Black Dynasty of Spain 

A very few people know, that for more than a half 
century, from 1086-1147, Spain was ruled by a black 
dynasty. After laying the foundation and establishing 
the town of Morocco, Yusuf Mache-fin crossed over into 
Spain. At this time the Arabs were being driven out of 
Spain. These men with tears in their eyes and sorrow 
in their hearts, came to Yusuf to employ his protection. 
Yusuf is described as being a wise and shrewd man. He 
could not speak the Arabic language, but spoke the Af- 
rican tongue. His army was made up of every tribe of 
the western desert. He drove the Christian forces out of 
southern Spain and established Yusuf's Spanish empire. 
Yusuf died in 1105. He was succeeded by his son as 
sultan of north Africa and Spain. This dynasty lasted, 
with a slight intermission, until 1147. A second African 
dynasty was established in 1150. Thus far a second time 
a purely African dynasty reigned upon the most civilized 
throne of Europe. He reconstructed the fleet of his pre- 
decessor and added to it not less than four hundred and 
sixty vessels. Monuments of the civil activities of these 
African rulers upon the Spanish soil still remain in the 
Tower of Gibraltar, which they built in 1160, and the 
great mosque of Seville which was begun in 1183. 



HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 17 

ABYSSINIA, THE MODERN ETHIOPIA 

Let us leave western Africa and journey across the 
continent to the mountains of Abyssinia. One of the 
oldest kingdoms in the world is Abyssinia. It was one of 
the states of ancient Ethiopia. The queen of Sheba of 
Bible fame, who visited Solomon at a time when the 
Jewish empire was at its zenith, was queen of Shoa, 
in the southern part of Abyssinia. Abyssinia has never 
been wholly subjected to any foreign power. It is a rich 
and healthy country inhabited by the descendants of the 
original Ethiopian stock. In speaking of Abyssinia, Sir 
Harry Johnson says: The very name which we apply to 
this modern Ethiopia is a Portuguese rendering of the 
Arabic, an Indian cant, for Habesh or negro. The 
French, Portuguese, Russians, Italians and English have 
all in their turn tried their fortunes in trying to bring this 
powerful Negro Kingdom under their subjection, but they 
all met with repeated reverses and have never been able 
to gain a permanent foot hold upon the soil of these 
aggressive black men, as the Abyssinians delight to call 
themselves. Italy was the last to give up the struggle. 
She proclaimed a protectorate over Abyssinia, which was 
recognized by England and Germany, but not by France 
and Russia. King John of Abyssinia, in 1882, sent Ras 
Allula with an army of 10000 men against a smaller force 
of Italian troops and almost annihilated the entire army. 
The English government interceded in behalf of the Ital- 
ian government, and finally persuaded King John of Aby- 
ssinia to make peace with Italy. After this King John 
went to war against the Wahdist, another African nation 
and v/as killed in battle. Menelik, the prince of Shoa, a 



18 HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 

vr.ssal kingdom in the southern part of Abyssinia, pro- 
claimed himself king. Menelik repudiated the protector- 
ate of Italy over Abyssinia. 

In the early spring of 1896 the Italian general Bar- 
atietri, with a large army, attempted tc invade Abyssinia 
but he was met by the forces of Menelik in the vicinity of 
Adua, with the result that the Italian forces were de- 
feated and cut to pieces with a terrible slaughter; many 
prisoners were taken. Sir Harry Johnson has the follow- 
ing to say about the effect of this battle on Europe : 
"This," says he, "was a terrible blow to Italy, and its ef- 
fect upon European politics was far reaching." All 
thoughts of an Italian protectorate over Abyssinia were 
at an end, a position frankly acknowledged by Italy in her 
subsequent treaty of peace with Menelik. The 
French and Russians were very glad, and the French ad- 
miration of the black emperor, Menelik, exceeded all lim- 
its. A British ambassador was sent in 1887 to open up 
friendly relations with Abyssinia to establish a political 
agency at the king's court. The treaty at first sight seem- 
ed not wholly satisfactory to British interests, as it yielded 
a small portion of Samoa land to Abyssinia, and did not 
provide for any limitation to Abyssinian boundaries on the 
west. Think of a proud nation like Great Britain en- 
tering into a treaty with a kingdom, and a black kingdom 
at that, when she conceded a larger concession than she 
received in return. The fact is that Great Britain has 
acknowledged that the black kingdom of Abyssinia has 
proven herself the peer of the most powerful Europeari 
government. The prophecy of David, which says. 
"Princes shall come out of Egypt and Ethiopia shall soon 
stretch forth her hand unto God" is being fulfilled. The 



HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 19 

ancient Grecians regarded Ethiopia as being a people 
whose moral intregrity secured for them the special favor 
and protection of Zeus. When Zeus seemed to have for- 
saken the Grecian warriors in their effort to destroy the 
city of ancient Troy, Homer informs us through the Iliad, 
his famous poem, that Zeus was away on a visit to the 
country of the blameless Ethiopian. 



Some General Characteristics of the African Family. 

CHAPTER IV 

(1) His respect for leadership. It is a commendable 
fact that the different black families all over the African 
continent have their special leader. 

Each tribe has its chief and each kingdom has its 
king. These men are highly respected by their subjects. 
The reason why L'Overture was able to organize a band 
of black slaves to march against the well organized forces 
of the French government, defeat them in battle, and 
snatch the reigns of governmnt from the hands of their 
former masters and establish the black republic of Hayti, 
because many of these black slaves, having been brought 
directly from Africa, had managed to keep themselves 
united under tribal chiefs, and by means of their secret 
societies to v/hich they belong in their African homes; be- 
sides these there were hundreds of runaway slaves who, 
kept themselves hid away in the dense forest of the island. 
Wh«^n the time came for action they all united under 
that matchless black general, Tour Saint L'Overture and 
defeated the French army. The same black slaves many 
of whom were fresh from the jungles of Africa, estab- 
lished a black republic, which has continued to the pres- 
ent day. 



20 HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 

RACE PRIDE 

The African black man has no desire to separate 
himself from his own people and country. He knows the 
traditional history of his ancestors and he verily be- 
lieves that his is a superior race. The people of Abyssin- 
ia delight to call themselves black men. When some of 
the African natives had seen Mr. Stanley, he being the 
first white man that they had ever seen, they remarked 
that he was as white as the devil, 

ADAPTABILITY 

Perhaps the most pronounced general characteristics 
of the black man as a race are his adaptability to new 
conditions. Unlike the American Indian, who is becoming 
exterminated under the influence of modern civilization, 
the African black man is increasing in population and in- 
telligence. In the colonies where European government 
has been established the natives enjoy the rights of citi- 
zenship and in many cases fill a large majority of the 
government positions. The standing armies are com- 
posed of native soldiers. 

THE AMERICAN BLACK MAN IN SLAVERY 

The history of the black man in America is so close- 
ly joined to the history of the country, it is difficult to sep- 
arate one from another. We will first consider the black 
man as a slave. In 1619 a little Dutch vessel landed al 
Jamestown, Va., having for its cargo twenty black men 
who had been decoyed and brought here from the wes- 
tern coast of Africa. These black men were sold into 
slavery. This is the beginning of slavery in 

what is now the United States of America. 
It may be fitting to state here that all of the civilized 
nations of the world at some time during their history to]- 



HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 21 

erated some form of slavery. The black man himself in 
his African home has been the owner of slaves. Slavery 
still exists among some of the African tribes. I do not 
want it understood that I would for a moment endorse 
or sanction the institution of slavery , but I mention these 
facts to show that the people of the United States of 
America should not be considered the meanest people in 
the world because they once held our ancestors as slaves. 
Slave labor proved to be very profitable to the southern 
planters, and for this reason there rose a great demand 
for a large supply of slaves. 

Slave labor was tried in the northern states, but 
proved unprofitable. The development of the southern 
section of the United States of America has been to a 
large extent the work of the black slaves. They felled 
the forest, planted, cultivated and harvested the crops; in 
many cases manufactured the farming utensils, built 
wagons and carriages and houses for their masters. 
Their brawny arms have girded the continent with a 
belt of steel. In fact, they have played their part in 
every movement for the developement of this country. 
When DeSoto made his cruel voyage through Florida, 
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana, 
black men were with him. When Bal Boa discovered the 
Pacific Ocean black men were there as witnesses to the 
event. It has already been shown in the preceeding 
chapters of this book that there have been some highly 
civilized black men upon the African continent from 
lime immemorial. It may be interesting to the reader to 
know that some of the black men who were captured in 
Africa and brought to this country to be sold into slavery 
v/ere men of rare intelligence. I have in mind a man 



22 HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 

who belonged to the Joloff nation, by the name of Job. 
His father was a king. Against the advice of his father, 
Job crossed into the territory of another nation, which 
was hostile to the Joloffs. This prince was surprised 
and captured and the American slave vessel was near the 
place. The captain of the vessel bought Job with the 
hope of receiving a ransom from his father; but before 
the father had received the news and sent the ransom for 
his son, the prince, the vessel had sailed for America. 
Job was sold to a wealthy farmer near the city of Balti- 
more, Maryland. The farmer soon found out that Job 
knew absolutely nothing about farming, but discovered 
that he was an expert in caring for sheep and cattle. 
Job became dissatisfied with his condition and ran away. 
He was afterwards returned to his master. He could 
not speak the English language, but he found that some of 
his fellow slaves on the plantation understood his native 
language, to whom he related the story of his life. 
These slaves reported the matter to their master, whose 
sympathy and respectability caused him to surround 
Job with conditions which were more congenial. He 
provided him with a nice room and allowed him to enjoy 
more freedom. In the meantime, Jam.es Oglethorpe, 
who was then in London, England, heard of the misfor- 
tune of the prince, and sent over sufficient m.oney to 
ransom him and pay his passage to London, England. 
The master accepted the ransom and placed him on a ves- 
sel and sent him to London. He was received in Lon- 
don, not as a slave, but as a prince. He was a Moham- 
medan and was very highly educated. He spoke the 
Arabic language fluently. He was highly entertained by 
the royal family. The founder of the British museum 



HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 23 

had some rare Arabic manuscripts that he got Job to 
translate. By this time Job had learned to speak the 
English language. It is said that Job reproduced two 
copies of the Koran, that he did not use the first in the 
reproduction of the second, but that he reproduced the 
whole from memory. The king fitted out a vessel and 
returned Job to his home. The subject of this sketch 
was captured in 1732, if I am not at fault regarding the 
date. 

Many who will read this little book, are, no doubt, 
familiar with the story of the Amisted. The Amisted 
v/as a slave vessel which brought over some African 
slaves in 1839. Among those slaves there was a man by 
the name of Cinquez, under whose leadership the slaves 
overpowered the captain and crew and with weapons 
compelled the pilot to steer the vessel as they directed. 
They intended to return to Africa, but under cover 
of darkness the pilot pursued a northerly course. After 
several weeks Captain Green with one of the United 
States vessels captured the ship and took charge of Cin- 
quez and his comrades. After a long legal proceeding, 
he and his companions were returned to Africa. John 
Quincy Adams pleaded two days of four and one half 
hours each before the supreme court to have the men re- 
leased and returned to their home. Cinquez not only 
shov/ed his great love for liberty but he also showed much 
bravery and executive ability. I simply cited these two 
cases to show what hundreds of others might have done 
under similar circumstances. There are several distinct 
characteristics which are peculiar to the African or black 
man. Among these are, adaptability, durability and love 
of knowledge. Perhaps there is no other family in the 



24 HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 

world that can so easily adapt itself to new things and 
new conditions as the African or black family. It 
seems to be an innate disposition on the part of the black 
man to make the best of what ever condition in which he 
finds himself. He not only conveniently adapts himself to 
material things and conditions, but in addition to this it 
had been proved that he lives happily side beside with 
the people of any climate in the world. His is the only 
people who can survive in the Soudan. Yet he lives with 
equal ease and comfort in the temperate and frigid zones 
as the nations that inhabit these regions. When Peary, 
representing the Caucasian race of America, accom- 
plished the matchless feat of crossing the icy plains of the 
Arctic circle and planted the American flag upon the 
north pole, Matthew Henson, an American black man, 
was standing by his side. These are the only civilized 
men who have stood upon the pivot upon which the world 
is balanced. The Indian is being exterminated because 
he cannot adapt himself to new conditions and assimilate 
tliG civilization of the American white man. The black 
man has not only been able to live and multiply along by 
the side of the white man, but he also assimilated the 
civilization of the white man, even in the days of slavery. 
A love for liberty caused many of the slaves to work and 
purchase their liberty and the freedom of their families. 
Many of these free black men worked and acquired con- 
siderable property. I shall mention a few of the free 
black men who distinguished themselves in North Caro- 
lina, whose histories are related by Prof. John Spencer 
Bassett, Ph. D., in his book entitled "Slavery," in the 
state of North Carolina. John C. Stanley was a black 
slave belonging to Mistress Lydia Stewart. John was a 



HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 25 

barber by trade and was such a faithful servant that his 
mistress gave him his freedom in 1808. He soon began 
to acquire black slaves and land until he had sixty four 
slaves and many more bound free black persons on his 
several plantations. He was very apt in business, and 
made money by shaving notes for his white neighbors. 
His fortune is said to have amounted to forty thousand 
dollars. His home was Newburn, North Carolina. It is 
said that he never forgot the kindness of his mistress in 
setting him free, but that when she became old he took 
great pleasure in conducting her through the streets of 
Newburn. She attended the Presbyterian church every 
Sunday morning, leaning upon the arm of her former ser- 
vant. 

The sense of gratitude shown by this man is charac- 
teristic of the black people. There were several other 
thrifty slave holding black men in and around Newburn, 
among whom were: John Good, a barber; John Green, a 
carpenter and contractor; Richard Hazel, a blacksmith; 
Scipio Hughes, a blacksmith and owner of a livery stable; 
Fellow Bragg, a successful tailor. What was true of 
the black men in Newburn, N. C., was true of the black 
men in many other states. The free black men of the 
United States of America owned $2,500,000 worth of 
property when Lincoln issued the Emancipation Procla- 
mation. We might mention Washington Spradley of 
Louisville, Kentucky, who was worth at his death 
$350, 000, a barber by trade, and Fannie Kennedy, a black 
woman who was very wealthy and had property all over 
Louisville. What was true of the above mentioned was 
true of many others in all the states. Space will not 



26 HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 

allow me to name them individually though we knew 
many of them personally. 

A desire or love for knowledge is an innate quality 
of the black man. Even in the days of the slavery, when 
it was a crime for any one to teach the black man to read 
or write, we find many of them, by some means, acquir- 
ing at least the rudiments of an education. I wish to 
speak particularly of one character found in Prof. John- 
son's school history, who is a black man, and also Prof, 
Bassett's book named above. The name of this man is 
Rev. John Chavous. He was born of free parents in 
Granville county, near Oxford, North Carolina, about 
1763. He was a full blooded black man. When he 
was but a boy, he attracted the attention of the white 
members and officials of the Presbyterian church, who de- 
cided to send him to Princeton college, just to see if a 
black man really possessed the ability to acquire a 
classical education. He completed the course with 
honor and finally returned to his native state and opened 
a classical school in Granville exclusively for the children 
of wealthy white farmers of the community. 

We all know that Princeton is in New Jersey over 
which college Ex-President Wilson was president. He 
also taught in Wake and Chatham counties. Among his 
pupils were William P. Mangum, afterward U. S. sen- 
ator and Priestly H. Mangum, his brother; Archibold 
and John Henderson, sons of Chief Justice Henderson ; 
Charles Manly, afterward governor of the state ; Dr. 
James L. Woretham of Oxford, N. C, and many more 
excellent men. He was honored and respected by all 
who knew him. Such was the accomplishment of a 
black man, born just 100 years before Lincoln issued the 



HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 27 

Proclamation of Emancipation. What Mr. Chavous ac- 
complished might have been done by hundreds of others 
had they been given an equal opportunity. 



CHAPTER V 
The Religious Life of the Slaves 

All of the slaves who were brought from Africa to 
this country were either pagans or Mohammedans. 
Generations of contact with Christian civilization had the 
remarkable effect of stamping out many of the fetish and 
idolatrous notions of the African In a large measure, 
the slave accepted the God and Saviour of their masters. 
Many of them were very sincere in their devotions. 
They possessed that simple Christ-like faith. Many 
of the burdened hearts of the slaves were made 
light because they knew how to cast their cares upon 
Jesus. The race produced some strong preachers in the 
days of slavery. The old historic town of Fayettesville, 
N.C. bears the distinction of having Methodism first intro- 
duced into it by Henry Evans, a black preacher. In 
speaking of Rev. Evans, Bishop Caphers said : I have 
known not many preachers who appeared more conver- 
sant with the scriptures than Henry Evans, all of whose 
conversation was more instructive as to the things of 
God. Ralph Freeman was another black man who won 
distinction as a preacher in the days of slavery. He was 
a native of Anson County, N. C, and was often called on 
to preach funerals and preach at Associations. He 
was a Baptist preacher. I have already referred to John 
Chavous, who was a Presbyterian minister, educated at 
Princeton, N. J. 

We will not omit to mention among the distinguished 



28 HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 

ante bellum preachers, Richard Allen, the founder of 
the A, M. E. church. Rev. Allen was born in 1760. He 
bought his freedom. On April 17, 1787, the colored peo- 
ple of Philadelphia, under the leadership of Allen and 
Jones, formed what was known as the Free African So- 
ciety. Out of this society grew the A. M. E. church, 
which was organized by Rev. Allen in 1816. They first 
worshipped in a blacksmith shop. Such was the be- 
ginning of one of the greatest religious organizations that 
we have in this country. The history of Bishop Allen is 
loo well known to repeat it. I would not close this sketch 
on the religious life of the black man in slavery without 
saying a word at least about Sojourner Truth. This 
unique character was born in 1775; was brought when a 
child from Africa and sold as a slave in the state of New 
York. Her mother became a very devoted Christian. 
She taught her children to love and fear the Lord. So- 
journer Truth secured her freedom and became a great 
advocate for the rights of women. Wendell Philipps 
said that he knew but one human being who could bring 
down a whole audience by a few simple v/ords, and that 
was Sojourner Truth. She never failed to seize an op- 
portunity to use all of her power of persursion for the 
abolition of slavery in the United States of America. 



HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 29 

CHAPTER IV. 
The Black Man After the Emancipation 

When Abraham Lincoln signed the Proclamation, 
September 22, 1862, that brought freedom to 4,000,000 
of black men, he little knew of the wonderful possibilities 
of the people whom he had freed. 

The emancipated black man was without experience 
of self reliance and self government. He found himself 
confronted with new conditions, but he gradually began 
to adapt himself to his new surroundings. Freedom 
v/ithout the right of citizenship is only part freedom. 
Congress hastened to pass the 13th, 14th, and 15th 
amendments to the Constitution, making the black man a 
citizen and at the same time giving him the right of suf- 
frage. There were many who condemn the government 
for indiscriminately granting the right of suffrage to the 
newly emancipated slaves. While this was a very ad- 
vanced step, it was the best thing that could have been 
done under the circumstances. The ballot in the hands 
of the masses of people is their only defense against the 
curtailing or encroachment upon their rights as citizens. 
We admit that the management in some of the states was 
far from being ideal but this state of affairs cannot be 
truthfully laid at the door of suffrage. Some of the carpet 
baggers were, no doubt, corrupt in their practices in the 
administration of the government of some of the southern 
states. It must also be admitted that they used the ig- 
norant freed men as a tool to aid them in carrying out 
their evil practices. But there was no other means by 
which the liberty of the emancipated slaves might have 
been safe guarded except by placing into their hands the 



30 HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 

ballot, the only weapon by which the rights and the liber- 
ties of a people may be protected. 

At the close of the war many of the black men who 
had gone into the northern states and secured an edu- 
cation returned to the southern states, and became polit- 
ical leaders among their people. Among those who dis- 
tinguished themselves were Ex-congressman John M. 
Langston, P. B. S. Pinchback, who became acting gov- 
ernor of Louisiana, Josiah T. Settle, Frederick Douglas, 
of abolition fame, Ex-Senator B. K. Bruce, and a host of 
others, which lack of space prevents me from mentioning. 
All of these gentlemen not only reflected credit upon 
themselves and the people to whom they belonged, but 
they also reflected honor upon the nation at large. A 
revolution has taken place in the politics of the south. 
A wholesale effort has been made to eliminate the black 
man from politics. No well informed black man will ob- 
ject to the enactment of such laws as may be necessary to 
improve the citizenship of the country, and to place the 
ballot into the hands of such as are interested in good 
government, provided these laws have equal force over 
all classes of citizens regardless of people or previous 
condition of servitude. 

I do not agree with that class of men who believe that 
the black man should be eliminated from politics. I 
believe that taxation is just as intolerable and unjust to- 
day as it was in the days of Patrick Henry and Thomas 
Jefferson. No people should be denied the right of rep- 
resentation in a government which they are taxed to 
support. The black man constitutes nearly two tenths of 
the population of the United States without a single rep- 
resentative in the nation's Congress. Such conditions 



HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 31 

should not exist in a republican form of government, 
which is supposed to be a government of the people, for 
the people and by the people. 

HIS MATERIAL ADVANCEMENT. 

In Georgia alone the black man owns 1,449,624 
acres of land, valued at $7,972,787. It is estimated that 
the black men of the United States own at least 30,000 
square miles of farm land. Deal Jackson of Albany, Ga., 
owns and works 2,000 acres of land, upon which he em- 
ploys forty six families. For the last ten or twelve years 
Mr. Jackson has been the first man to place a bale of 
cotton upon the market. Alfred Smith, of Oklahoma, 
better known as the cotton king ,won the first prize at the 
World's Exposition at Paris, 1900. John J. Benson, of 
Alabama, owns a farm of 3,000 acres. J.G. Grove, the 
black potato king, raises an average of 72,150 bushels of 
potatoes each year, which is an average of 245 bushels to 
the acre. He owns five farms. The black men of the 
United States of America own and control about seventy 
banks. A report from twenty nine of these banks shows 
a deposit of $1,051,770, and a surplus of about $200,000. 
It is estimated upon reliable information that the black 
man of the United States of America owns taxable prop- 
erty, valued at $550,000,000. Adding to this amount 
$300,500, which he has deposited in the banks of this 
country, to say nothing of the amount hid away in chim- 
ney corners and under mattresses, will make a grand total 
of $900,000,000 of wealth owned by the black man of the 
United States of America. 



32 HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 

THE BLACK MECHANICS. 

In 1900 there were over 200,000 black men engaged 
in work requiring skill. Among them were miners and 
quarry men, 36,568; saw mill and planing mill em- 
ployees, 33,266; dress-makers, 24,110; carpenters, 21, 
114; barbers and hairdressers, 19,948; tobacco and cigar 
operators, 15,349; brick and stone masons, 14,387; iron 
and steel workers, 2,327 ; engineers and firemen, 10,227 ; 
blacksmiths, 10,004; brick and tile makers, 9,970. In 
addition to these were 2,585 black operatives in fac- 
tories and mills, 52 architects and designers, 185 electri- 
cians; 120 engineers and surveyors; 1,262 machinists, 
198 tool and cutlery makers, 342 cabinet makers, 109 
clock and watchmakers, 66 gold and silver workers, 86 
book binders, 22 engravers, 1,845 tailors, 15 glove mak- 
ers, 24 model and pattern makers, 247 photographers, 
and 1, 045 upholsterers. 

THE BLACK PROFESSIONAL MEN 

There are about 30,000 black teachers of schools 
and colleges. Of this number of efficient and conse- 
crated teachers. Dr. Booker T. Washington ctnd Dr. W. 
E. B. Dubois rank among the foremost educators of the 
world. There are about 70,000 black ministers, 2,000 
physicians, 1,000 lawyers, 100 literary and scientific per- 
sons and 210 journalists. We have had some very able 
representatives of all the professional men and women of 
our people. Among them are to be found Dr. R. F. 
Boyd, of Nashville, Tennessee, Dr. Daniel H. Williams, of 
Chicago, one of the two known surgeons of the world who 
have performed successful operations upon the human 
heart, Dr. George H. Hall, of Chicago, and Dr. A. M. 
Curtis of Washington, D. C, noted surgeons of our peo- 



HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 33 

pie, Dr. Garland Penn, secretary of the Epworth League 
of the M. E. church, among the colored people of the 
uaiited States of America. Space will not allow me to 
make full mention of Paul Lawrence Dunbar, who is 
reckoned among the greatest poets of the world, Henry 
O. Tanner, the black artist whose productions, "The 
Raising of Lazarus," The Ten Virgins" and "The Lord's 
Supper," have won the applause and admiration of the 
world's best critics. Mr. Tanner won the gold medal at 
the World's Exhibition at Paris, France. Rev. Dr. E. C. 
Morris, president of the African National Baptist Conven- 
tion, which is the largest organization of our people in the 
world. Rev. Dr. R. H. Boyd, secretary of the National 
Baptist Publishing Board, which is located at Nashville, 
Tennessee, and is valued at $200,050, the Rev. Dr. C. E. 
Walker, the Baptist minister, the black Spurgeon, 
Bishop Turner, of the A. M. E. church, and Bishop 
Waters of the A. M. E. Zion church, Dr. Mason of the M. 
E. church and a host of others whom a lack of space pro- 
hibits my naming. 

The civilization of a people may be measured by the 
contribution they make toward the estal^lishment of 
schools and churches. The black people of the United 
States of America own property valued at $50,000,000 
and school property at $20,000,000. Since 1880 black 
churches have contributed $15,000,000 for the educa- 
tion of our people. In addition to this, Mr. Carnegie 
stated in his address at Edinburg, Scotland, in 1907, that 
the cost of running the public schools in 1907, was $1,345, 
859, and that the black people contributed by means of 
taxation, $1,496,036 which was $150,137 more than was 
expended in the common schools for the black people of 



34 HISTORY OF THE BLACK MAN 

that year. Thus we see that the black man not only- 
paid for his own education but he also contributed more 
than $150,000 for the education of the white boys and 
girls of these United States of America. It has been 
clearly shown that the black people are not backward, 
neither do they show any signs of becoming extinct. 
But he is justly recorded among the advanced people of 
the world. A people that can produce such men as 
Toursaint L'Overture, St. Augustine the bishop of Hippo 
Africa, Ira Aldridge, whose success as an actor, caused 
the king of Prussia 1854, to confer a declaration upon 
him ; Dumas, the half breed black man of the West In- 
dies, who became one of the most famous novelists of 
France, the national poet of Russia, Alexander Sergeil- 
vich Pushkin, although of noble birth ,his mother was a 
mixed blooded African ; Pixley Isaka Seme, the Zulu who 
came directly from Africa and completed the college 
course of Columbia University of New York and carried 
off the oratorical honors of his class in competition with 
America's brightest sons, in 1907, justly deserves to take 
rank among the highly civilized people of the earth. 

If after reading this little book, some black boy is 
made to have a better opinion of himself and of the peo- 
ple with whom he is identified, the writer will feel that 
he has accomplished the purpose which he had in view. 
REV. JOSEPH JULIUS JACKSON, D. D., 

Bellefontaine, Ohio. 



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